“Our philosophy is to work with people who we believe have interesting brand attributes that we can work with and they can work with us,” said Fantex co-founder and Silicon Valley entrepreneur Buck French, who got rich during the dot-com boom after selling a software company to Siebel Systems. “You don’t have to be a superstar. I could see us working with big names and no names. The question is do they have attributes to build a brand for the long haul.”

The initial public offering funds will be used to pay Davis a $4 million fee in exchange for a 10 percent cut of his future earnings, which includes his playing contract, endorsements and income after he retires from professional football.

The 29-year-old Davis could be paid up to $16.9 million on the remainder of his current contract with the 49ers.

In 2010, the tight end signed a five-year deal with the 49ers in which $23 million is guaranteed. Davis is in his eighth NFL season.